Town of Conesus - 1819

Livingston County, New York

C ONESUS---was formed from Livonia
and Groveland, as "Freeport," April 12, 1819.
Its name was changed to "Browersville," March
26, 1825, and to Conesus, April 15, 1825. It is the
central town upon the E. border of the co. Hemlock
Lake forms the E. and Conesus Lake a part of the W.
boundary. Its surface is hilly. The Marrowback Hills
in the E. part W. of Hemlock Lake, rise to about
1,200 feet above it. A deep valley extends S.E. from near
the center into Springwater, through which the B.,
N.Y., & E.R.R. passes. The principal stream is
Mill Creek. The soil is generally a caly loam.
Conesus Center (p.v.) contains 2 churches, a
grist and saw mill, and about 40 houses.
Conesus (p.o) is a R.R. station. Foots
Corners and Union Corners are hamlets.
Settlement was commenced at the head of Conesus Lake,
in 1794 or '95, by James Henderson, from Penn . The first church (Meth.) was
organized in 1814.

Moose, Lloyd, History of the Story Road
and Vicinity (1932,Sparta-Springwater
area), Hornell,NY, Alice M. Oakes, 1981.

Smith, James H., History of Livingston
County, New York , Syracuse,NY, D.Mason
& Co., 1881.

FOOTNOTES

[from Penn] Hector McKay settled in 1798,
Harvey May in 1806, Davenport Alger in 1808, Jas.
Steel and Wait Arnold in 1810, Thomas Young in
1811, and and Andrew Arnold in 1816. The first store
was kept by A. & G. Arnold, at the center,
1818. The first sawnmill was built in 1803 or
'04,on Mill Creek, near the center; and the first
woolen factory in 1819, by Hosea Gilbert. ( back )